Brake beam casting



Oct. 17, 1950 R. s. coTTRELL BRAKE BEAM CASTING 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filedsept. so, 194e Oct. 17, 1950 4R. B. coTTRELL 2,525,775

BRAKE BEAM CASTING Filed Sept. 30, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct.17, 1950 `BRAKE BEAM CASTING Robert B. Cottrell, Chicago, Ill.,assignor'toAmerican Steel Foundries,V Chicago, Ill., a. `corpora tionofNew ersey ApplicationSeptember 30, `1948, Serial No. 52;-049

4 claims. (o1. 18e-222.6)

This invention relates to railway brake beams and more particularly to anovel brake beam having the characteristic of unusual rigidity andresistance to deformation due -to braking forces.

A primary object of the invention -is to provide a truss type brake beamhaving struts ,connecting the tension and compression `members of thebeam at opposite sides of the brake lever `fulcrum.

Another object of the invention is to devise a brake beam such as abovedescribed whereinV the `struts are provided with openings accommodatinginsertion and removal of a brake leverl fulcrum pin with respect to thefulcrum.

A further object of the invention is to .Form a brake beam o1" theabove-described type :as a single casting having its partsinterconnected in such a manner as to afford maximum rigidity andminimum weight.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention willbecome rapparentfrom a consideration of thefollowing specication and theaccompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a brake `bearrrcasting embodying theinvention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the beam;

Figure 3 is an end view of the'beam;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional View on the line 4 4 of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view `on the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 6 5 of Figure 1;

Figures '7 and 8 are vertical sectional views taken respectively throughthe compression memober land the tension member of the beam; LandFigures 9-12, inclusive, illustrate `a modified form of beam embodyingthe invention, Figure 9 being a top plan View, Figure 10 being `a .frontelevational view, Figure l1 being an end view, and Figure 12 being afragmentary sectional view `on the line l2-I2 of Figure 9.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to thepreferredembodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 8, the novel brake beamis preferably formed as a single casting having a T-section compressionmember 2 and a T-sec tion tension member 4 merging at each end of thebeam with a brake head, generally designated 6.

The brake head comprises an arcuate front wall 8 having a vertical rearwall l0 connected to its rear surface. The wall 8 is formed on its frontsurface with biurcated top and bottom end or toe lugs I2 and I4 and withspaced intermediate lugs It and t8 affording a seat for associated brakeshoe means (not sho-wn) secured by key `means (not shown) extendingthrough a keyway 2li` (Figure 1). r

. The front wall 8 is connected at its inboard edge to a vertical web22forming the headof the T-section tension member 4 and a rear end of therear wall l0 is connected to a web 24 forming the head of a T-sectioncompression member 2. The outboard edge or the wall B and the outboardsurface of the wall l0 are integrally formed with a support lug orextension 26 disposed a plane diagonal with respect to the plane of thetruss defined by the tension and compression members 2 and 4, as bestseen -in Figures -2 and 3, said lug 26 being adapted to support the beamon an associated truck frame support ledge or bracket (not show-n).

At the transverse center line of the 4beam the tension and compressionmembers are connected `by a brake lever fulcrum, `generally designated28, said ulcrum comprising front andrear barrel portions Sil and 43-2connected respectively to the webs 22 `and 24. The adjacent ends ci thebarrel portions 32 are connected by .annular top and bottom bearing pads34 and 36 having aligned openings 38 and 40 dening a brake pin holeintersecting a brake lever slot defined by -the space between thebearing pads lwand and by slots 42 and 44 through the -barrel portions`32 and 3U, respectively. The brake lever slot dened yby the slottedportions 42 and 44 and by the bearing `pads 34 and 36 is `adapted .toreceive an associated brake lever `(not shown) which is pivotallyfulcrumed within the slot by a `brake pin (not shown) extending throughthe pinhole defined by the openings 3s and 4Q.

' The connection between the rear barrel portion 32 and the compressionmember web 24 is best seen in Figure 4 wherein it `will be noted thatthe web 24 is provided at this point with an opening 46 for convenientfoundry practice.

The tension and `compression members are interconnected at oppositesides of the iulcrum 28 by a pair of struts 48 and 56, each strut beingconnected to the tension and compression member webs 22 and 24 and to!the barrel portions 3Q and 32. The struts are provided with openings 52and 54 aligned with the pinhole openings 3B and 4D to accommodateapplication and removal of the brake pin (not shown).`

As best seen in Figure 6, the barrel portion 3D is divided by the slot44 into upper and lower segments 5E and 53, the upper end of the lowersegment 58 being connected to the strut 50 and the lower end of theupper segment 56 being connected to the strut 48 to accommodate asymmetrical structure wherein the struts 48 and 50 are approximatelycoplanar. It will be understood that the rear barrel portion 32 issimilarly constructed with an upper segment connected at its lowerextremity to the strut 48 and a lower segment connected at its upperextremity to the strut 50, the struts being spaced from the bearing pads34 and 36 as above noted to denne application openings 52 and 54accommodating insertion and removal of the brake pin.

Figures 9 to 12, inclusive, illustrate a modified form of brake beamembodying the invention wherein parts corresponding to those of Figures1 to 8 are identied by corresponding numerals.

The modication is substantially identical with the preferred embodimentwith the exception that the brake pin application openings 52 and 54 aresomewhat larger and the beam is additionally reinforced by a pair ofstruts |02 and |04 connected between the tension and compression members2 and 4 adjacent the ends of the beam, thereby defining windows |06 and|08 outwardly of the struts |02 and |04 and windows I I and I2 inwardlyof these struts. The beam is also reinforced at the outer ends of thewindows |06 and |08 by vertical ribs or webs I I4 and IIS connected tosubstantially horizontal webs IIB and |20 defining the legs of theT-section a substantially Vertical front web and a sub-.

stantially horizontal rear web, a compression member of T-section havinga substantially vertical rear web and a substantially horizontal frontweb, the .front web of the compression member and the rear web of thetension member merging at each end of the beam, a brake head at each endof the beam having a rear wall connected to the rear web of thecompression member and a front wall connected to the front web of thetension member, said head having 9, front wall adapted to supportassociated brake shoe means, a support lug connected to said walls andextending outwardly from the rear wall, a brake lever fulcrum includingspaced barrels connected respectively to the front web of the tensionmember and to the rear web of the compression member, aligned slotsthrough said barrels dividing the same into upper and lower webs, a pairof annular bearing pads, one of said pads being connected between theupper webs and the other being connected between the lower webs, alignedopenings through said bearing pads defining a pinhole, and a, pair ofat, substantially coplanar struts connected to the rear web of thetension member and to the front web of the compression member, one ofsaid struts being connected to the upper extremities of the lower websand the other of said struts being connected to the lower extremities ofthe upper webs, both of said struts being spaced from said pads to deneopenings accommodating application and removal of an associated brakepin with respect to said pinhole.

2. A truss type railway brake beam casting comprising a tension member,a compression member, a brake lever fulcrum comprising a pair of spacedbarrels connected to the respective members, said barrels being slottedto dene upper and lower arcuate webs adapted to receive an associatedbrake lever therebetween, upper and lower annular bearing pads, theupper pad being connected between the upper webs of respective barrelsand the lower pad being connected between the lower webs of respectivebarrels, aligned openings through said pads defming a pinhole, a iiatstrut connected to the upper extremities of the lower webs and to saidmembers, and another flat strut connected to the lower extremities ofthe upper webs and to said members, said struts being approximatelycoplanar and spaced from said pads to denne openings accommodatingapplication and removal of an associated fulcrum pin with respect tosaid pinhole.

3. A brake beam casting, according to claim 2, wherein the bearing padsare diagonal to the plane of the tension and compression members.

4. A truss type railway brake beam casting comprising a tension member,a compression member, a brake lever fulcrum comprising a pair of spacedbarrels connected at their remote ends to the respective members andslotted to define upper and lower arcuate webs adapted to receive anassociated brake lever, a top bearing pad connected between the upperwebs of respective barrels at their adjacent ends, a lower bearing padconnected between the adjacent extremities of the lower webs ofrespective barrels, aligned openings through said pads defining apinhole, a flat strut connected to the upper extremities of the lowerwebs and to said members, and another at strut approximately coplanar tothe first-mentioned strut and connected to the lower extremities of thelower webs and to said members, said struts having openings aligned withsaid pinhole, the `inboard edge of each opening being dened by one ofsaid pads.

ROBERT B. COTTRELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 683,729 Danis Oct. l, 1901794,404 Green July 11, 1905 974,283 Lamont Nov. 1, 1910 2,170,114 BuschAug. 22, 1939 2,170,120 Busch Aug. 22, 1939

